The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-06-29
WHITE CAP KNIGHTS.
A REGULAR BAND OF MASKED EiGI-
LANTES IN INDIANA.

LANTES IN INDIANA.
The Law Ignored by a Band OF kuii,ans
Who Seek to Make the Punishment Fit
the Crime-Death for Serious Offenders.
The White Caps are to Southern In
diana what the Bald hnobbers were to
Missouri. Not so desperate in character
as the latter, their organization is iaen-
tical and they have equally set law al
defiance.
The headquarters OF the White Caps
are in Harrison county, Indiana, bu5the
organization extends over into Crawford,
Jefferson and half dozen other coun-
ties in the Oldest civilization OF the
State.
There is not more intelligent, peace
able or orderly community in Indiana
than Harrison county. Coryoon, the
county seat, was the first capital OF the
State, and its courthouse, built IN 1911,
was for four years its capitol. The
country is rich and schools and churches
abound. A branch railroad has "een
built to Corydon, and its citizens ere
prominent in State and nation.
In spite of all this, the White Caps,
or ssKnights of the Switch, as they are
sometimes called, have existed for seven
teen years. The courts have beer set
st defiance, iails have been opened and
prisoners liberated or punished. Men,
women and children have been dragged
out of bed at dead OF night, and 1aelr
homes burned before their eyes, while
thev themselves have been whip.ced,
torture5 with fendish ingenuity and
made to fee the country.
Like the Bald Knobbers, the pro-
fessed motive of the White Caps is the
punishment Of crime more swiftly and
httingly than can be accomplished In
the courts. For this reason there has
been little outcry against them, and even
when public Indignation has ieen
aroused by some unusually fragrant ;.ct,
nothing has been accomplished.
The identity Of White Caps has been
revealed time and again, but not one has
ever been brought to punishment. There
have been many attempts by grand inrles
to indict the offenders, but so far tney
have been Ineffective. For years and
years hardly q circuit court is held IN
Harrison county that the jury is no- in
strucsed to investigate some case OF re-
cent occurrence, but White Caps are on
the jury and in the court room, and
nothing has ever been discovered In this
way.
There have been but few confessions
of membership; but one Of these fnrn-
ishes information Of the regular nature
of the organization. The White Caps,
or "Knights," are organized with resu-
lar lodges. There are signs, grips &nd
pass words-crude, of course, but
sufficient for the recognition of and for
communication between members. They
meet at appointed places, but not often
at the same place, and but seldom IL q
house. Sc Led groves are their favor
ite resorts, and / re they assemble upon
notification of the leader OF the lodge.
Councils are held, expeditions deteem-
med upon and punishments inflicted.
The sign for the assembling OF these
sslodges" is the laying OF crossed fence
rails in the middle OF the road.
The earliest known band Of this or
canization was in Scott township, har-
rison county, seventeen years ago.
James n. kean, q small farmer, accused
of petty thievery, was tied to tree and
severely whipped. He was their first
victim, but cases were frequent after
that.
OF late the White Caps have been very
active. The latest outbreak was IN
Jefferson county, two miles from the
small village of Brooksburg. 4 band OF
1,,asSed men last Friday night broke into
fhe farmhouse of Stout Bronson, dragged
him fron, bed with his wife and child,
removed tbs furniture from the rooms,
burned the dwelling and quietly dlsap,
peared. Neither Bronson nor his neigh,
bors can assign any reason for the out.
rage, out it is supposed the White Gaps
were headed by Q personal enemy. iba'
the parry was from the organization was
shown by their wearing the white masks
which have given their name.
The knights were guilty ten DAYS age
of 9 serious offence. At midnight
hand of some twelve or fifteen Whit
masks visited the house Of Jos. Lynch
3 farmer who lives near LeavenTorth
iThsy broke in the doors, seized Lynch
and his wife, entered the room where
slept his daughter Mary with her three
brothers and dragged the whole party
into the front gard. The two younge,
bows broke loose and fled INTO the
bushes.
Five men held Lynch and the oide'
boy, and the remainder whipped the tWt
women with stout hickory switches
They mounted their horses wheI
sufficient punishment had been inflicted
and quietly rode away.
The home of Lynch was visited ant
his wife was found at work laying raj
fence in front of the house. Her boy
we're aroand the house, and Mary go
ND out of bed to stare at the unaccus
toned visitor. Very shabbily dressed
were ali. Mr.. Lynch was at work at
neiehbor's, ard his wife was so fright
ened that she trenbled from head to 100
when questioned, thinking the reporte
was one Of the Knights.
She said the Caps had been there
week ago and whipped her and Mary
but she couldn't remember anything
When any trouble eame her heart bea
50 fast that it choked her and she fel
down like dead, and that vas the wa.